Heart of the White Wolves
by Angel-of-eternal-love
Summary: Sango Atsumi is the daughter of the head Chief in Tsuzumi village. Her whole life she has been told to stay away from the Rogue Wolves, they are evil and very dangerous. But what happens when she falls madly in love with one? SanxMir, OC, AU some KagxInu
1. They are back

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters portrayed in this fanfic. Copyright goes to Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Media. This is all purely fan-made and is in no way associated to the creators of the characters. **

**Full Summary: All of Sango's life she has been told to stay away from the Rogue wolves. It was said that they are nothing but evil sadistic demons; which for the most part is true. But, what happens when Sango accidentally falls in love with one? Read and find out!**

**Warning! This story will be rated M for mature audiences lol. The reason being is because there will be violence and blood, and sexual references and possibly scenes lol So if you cant seem to handle it, then this story might not be for you. :3**

**I only want intelligent flames, no bashing about how much you hated it or whatever.**

**A/N: Hello everyone! Its been a very long time since I last touched on this fanfic lol And I am very sorry for the huge wait…but im re-posting it from the very beginning. It needs to be edited like crazy lol…I don't know what else to say except please read and enjoy ^^…Oh and review please I would very much like it if you did :3**

**..::MirxSan::..**

chapter 1 -

Sango and her two friends Ayame and Kagome were playing about in the white blanket of snow. The trio were just having fun, throwing snow at each other, rolling around and making snow-angels. It was their favorite pastime every winter. Each year brought about plenty of snow and it always made the three girls very happy.

Their home; Tsuzumi village, is a peaceful place in the Northern Mountains in which the white wolves reside. It is full of diverse life and healthy thriving families born to take care of each other no matter what. The entire village was built on family orientated principals. And Sango just so happens to be the daughter of the head chief.

Its just when the rogue wolfs show to overthrow the neighboring villages, all hell may brake loose. The rogue wolfs are the outsiders of the Northern Mountains. They are the ones that enjoy wrecking havoc on homes and small towns. And for fun, they torture the white wolfs of Tsuzumi village and other neighboring places. But, ever since a man named Kyo Kurarugi had died, everything has been calm for 2 years now. There hasn't been any assaults ever since.

Kyo Kurarugi was Sango's first suitor. They were betrothed by both of their families a few years back. Though it didn't seem to bother neither Sango nor Kyo because they were already in love, and it seemed perfect that they were to get married anyways. But, tragically one night, Kyo was murdered just a week before the pair was to get married.

It has been about two years since then, and the rogue wolves haven't attacked Tsuzumi Village or any of the other surrounding villages either..

Yet….

Ayame giggled and threw a snowball at Sango hitting her in the back of her right shoulder.

"Hey!" Sango laughed. She quickly bent down into the blanket of snow and scooped a handful, then molded it into a snowball. She then threw it at Ayame. Ayame laughed then ran behind Kagome for safety.

"Ayame, I'm not your shield." Kagome laughed as Ayame stood behind her and grabbed onto her shoulders and pulled her swiftly in front of her. They both starred at Sango with wary eyes. Sango starred at her two friends and beamed at them as she dipped her hands in the snow, scooping another handful and molding it into a huge snowball. Standing up straight, Sango continued her glare, pulling her arm back.

"...Hyaaaaaa!" Sango screamed out tossing the enormous snowball at Kagome and Ayame.

"..kyaaa!" The two screamed. Kagome hastily made an attempt and ducked down just in time before she would get hit. But as for Ayame, she hadn't the time to dodge it. It soared through the air and hit her square in the face.

"Eiaaaa!" Ayame screamed with a slight laugh. She fell to her knees, laughing and wiped the snow from her face revealing pink coloring on her cheeks due to the cold in the air.

"Kagome, why did you dodge out of the way? You were supposed to be my shield." Ayame laughed. Sango fell to her knees, clutching her stomach. She was laughing so hard at Ayame, it hurt her stomach and brought tears to her eyes. She fell over rolling in the snow, getting her kimono slightly wet, still in hysterics. The two girls sat in the snow starring at the girl, wide-eyed.

"...; Okay Sango I think you can calm down now." Kagome said sweat dropping. Sango did though after a few more moments and lied on her back. she didn't have any concern if the back of her kimono got wet from the snow, she just wanted to relax there and stare up at the beautiful blue sky, which the three girls knew would become dark soon.

Keeping her right arm over her stomach, Sango perpetually gazed up at the sky for a few more moments. Then Ayame spoke up.

"...You know Sango, you can be very unusual at times."

"Yah, I know." Sango smiled. "I just like to think about random things." She explained, giving a slight sigh at the end of her statements.

"...hm.." Was Kagome's response.

Just then one of the elder female villagers came walking up the small hill, lifting the ends of her kimono up so it wouldn't get wet. She had obviously come to fetch the three girls and take them to their respectful homes before it got too dark out.

"Girls its time to head home. You don't want your parents to worry." The woman told them.

"Hai!" Sango smiled and stood up, followed by Kagome and Ayame. The three girls brushed off their kimonos and followed the middle-aged woman back to the housing section of Tsuzumi village.

Just as Sango reached her house, which is near the back of the village, she waved goodbye to her two friends.

"Good bye guys! " Sango walked up the steps to the front deck part of her house. She reached for the door and slid it open.

Since Sango is the headman's daughter of this village, her and her family live in the largest house. There were three bedrooms at the back of the house, one for Sango, one for her younger brother Kohaku, and the largest for her parents. The house is very large, in fact you could consider it a two building home. The building in which held all the bedrooms and bathroom was connected to the main building by an open walkway, like a breezeway.

In between the two buildings is a small garden. This garden has small ponds filled with lilies and stepping stones for the family and friends to walk on throughout the garden. It was also filled with many bushes and shrubs of all kinds, and including flowers of the ton. This was one of Sango's favorite places to go to and to rest on a bench with Kirara. It was a soothing kind of place where Sango could just let her mind wonder wherever it pleased.

The main part of the house is the largest part of the building itself. It is where Sango and her family spend most of their time together. It is grouped with a sitting section, dining section, and the cooking area. The sitting section is just one giant room with polished wood flooring and many wall hangings and Shoji screens separating the kitchen from the sitting room. Off in the corner of the room sat a Buddha shrine where Sango and her family made offerings and prayed.

The kitchen and dinning room acted as one room altogether. It was fairly simple. It consisted of a traditional table that sat low to the floor and tatami mats that sat up to four people. A shoji sliding door was placed behind the table. By sliding open that door, you were then lead to the garden and on your path to the second building of the house.

"Bye bye!" Kagome and Ayame called out in unison. Sango smiled looking back at her waving friends.

Stepping inside her home, Sango was greeted by the smell of supper being cooked and prepared in the kitchen. She stepped inside to see what all was going on to see her mother and younger brother, Kohaku setting up the table.

"Hello Kohaku. " She greeted the young brunette and ruffled her hand through his hair.

"Heh...Hey sis." Sango sauntered next to her mother and saw that she was cooking her favorite; Yakizakana, or also known as grilled fish. There was also a side of white sticky rice and Miso soup.

"Hello Sango." Her mother smiled brightly. She returned the favor and smiled back. Closing her eyes slowly, Sango inhaled the sweet aroma of the grilled fish being cooked and prepared on top of the stove.

"Smells great mom " Sango complimented her.

"Thank you. " Sango then walked next to Kohaku and took the chopsticks and the beautifully decorated napkins from his hands. Kohaku took the plates from the cupboard and gently placed them down on the traditional low table.

"So Kohaku, did you get to play in this year's first snow? " Sango asked setting each pair of chopsticks into each folded napkin. Her brother smiled.

"Yes I did. I went over to Ryu's home to enjoy it." He explained. Just that second the front shoji door slid open and Atsumi-san stepped in.

"I'm home." Atsumi-san stepped inside his home and slid the door closed behind him. Sango turned her head and a huge smile appeared cross her face.

"Father your home!" Sango dropped what she was already occupied with and ran to her father and embraced him tightly.

"Gosh, you sure are happy today." He noted. Sango smiled and pulled away.

"Today's the year's first snow, so of course I'm happy "

"Well that's great to hear." He gave her a smile then walked to stand next to his wife. He hugged her from behind affectionately, keeping the right side of his face touching her left cheek sweetly.

"Do you need any help Hun?" Atsumi-san asked her. She responded with a smile.

"Sure if you wish to. But I am almost finished with everything." After the food was finished being cooked, the family helped each other in setting the food and drinks onto the dinner table. And soon they all sat down and began eating their supper.

Supper was usually a very pleasant time for the Atsumi family. It was a great time for the family to talk about their day and what happened if anything interesting did occur. Sango enjoyed when her family was together like this. It always put a huge smile on her face.

After supper, the Atsumi family had decided to sit outside in the front of their house. They had wanted to sit and enjoy the sunset. The day was a very pleasant day. The sun was out and shining brightly for the majority of it. But now it was time to set and allow the moon to take its place.

Sango and Kohaku layed in the snow and played with Kirara. The snow was slowly starting to melt, but it didn't worry Sango one bit. It was still the beginning of winter and there was plenty of snow to come in the future.

After rolling around in the snow and chasing after Kirara a few times, Sango lied down on her back and allowed Kirara to lie on her chest. She stared up at the beautiful setting sky as she scratched her cat behind the ears, receiving a purr in return. Her brother sat next to her and watched the sun set as well.

"Mew..!"

"Neh? Kirara?" Sango turned her attention to the cat noticing that something was wrong. The look in Kirara's eyes was that of confusion and curiosity. And that's when she heard a familiar voice call out to her.

"Sango!"

Sango sat up and turned around in the direction in which the voice was coming from. It was Kagome.

"Kagome what's wrong?" Sango asked as she held Kirara secure in her arms.

"Its my father..."

"What is wrong with him.." Sango's father took note of the sudden commotion and stood, ready for whatever news Kagome was going to give.

"Please we need your help, my father needs your help. He has been attacked by a Demon." Kagome explained, fear had definately stricken her face.

Sango's eyes widened in shock. This was bad, very bad. Kagome's father was the head of the Patrol Team, and it would be very bad if the team were to lose it's leader. But not only was that bad, but this was Atsumi-san's best friend. They were friends for as long as they could remember, and this was just devastating information to Sango's father. She could see the disbelief in his eyes.

"…Uh..Right, I'm on it." Kisuke; Sango's father, tried his best to conceal his concern and went on to follow in the direction in which Kagome was leading him. His heart pounded in his chest in fear for his friend. He needed to know what was going on…And hopefully he wouldn't be too late.

"Meow!" Kirara's ears perked up and she leaped out of Sango's arms, startling her. Sango called out to her but she didn't listen. Instead, she ran after her father and Kagome.

"Kirara!" Sango, not wanting to lose Kirara, ran after her, with her mother and her younger brother following behind. Sango ran down the small dirt road, which was still covered in snow yet most of it was cleared away. Her sandals clomped in the dirt and snow as she passed by the shops and other people on the sides of the dirt road. She ran as fast as she could, trying to keep up with Kirara, Kagome and her father. Soon Sango and her family had made their way to an opening just outside the entrance of Tsuzumi village.

"Kirara.." Sango took her two-tailed neko into her arms once she finally stopped. She looked around the large crowd, it appeared almost as if the entire village was here. And soon enough, she noticed a familiar redhead.

"Hey, Ayame."

"Hi." Ayame greeted her quietly. There wasn't much that they two could really say to one another, so quietly and carefully they eased their way through the crowd and kneeled down in an alright spot. Sango gasped at the sight of Higurashi-san.

"So tell me Higurashi-san, who did this to you?" Atsumi-san asked him with as much strength as he good muster. It was painful to see his friend in this condition.

Sango looked upon Kagome's injured father. His left shoulder was terribly torn apart, it was a good thing that his company carried him otherwise he would be far worse. He was bleeding constantly and sweat was appearing on his face from the constant throbbing of pain coursing all through out his body.

Sango then glanced at Kagome who had taken a seat next to her father and mother. Tears were forming in the corners of her eye. The same was occurring to her mother.

"It...was a rogue. He was...dressed in all black..." Higurashi-san allowed his gaze to fall on his wife and daughter. He gave them a slight smile before he spoke up.

"I want..you two, to..take care...I love you both very much.." Then he looked back at Atsumi-san. "Kisuke-kun.." A smile came across his face and he stared up at his friend. "Take care of yourself, and your family."

Was this, a goodbye? Kisuke smiled and spoke. "No, you shouldn't speak such things like that…You're going to make it, trust me." It was no use, his pleas went unnoticed. Higurashi-san was convinced that he was going to die, and if this is how it was really meant to be, then he wasn't going to have anyone tell him otherwise.

"Beware if this one...he..is very dangerous…Worse than what we are used to.." He smiled one last time at his family before another sting of immense pain shot through him. The pain caused him to wince one last time before his head went slack.

"Otousan!…Otousan!"

Sango watched as a tear rolled down Kagome's cheek. She couldn't handle seeing her friend break down in tears. It has been two years since the Rogues last attacked one of their people. What their motives were, Sango hadn't a clue. Though her father certainly seemed bound and determined to figure out what it was that night.

"Father, please don't go." Sango pleaded as she tried to block him from the main entrance of the house.

"I'm sorry Sango, but this is something that I must do. I have already spoken with the Patrol Team and they have agreed to accompany me tonight." He gathered a few of his things in preparation for his leave.

"Dear, listen. Why cant you just wait until the morning, it will be more dangerous doing this at night." Worry was lining her voice as she spoke. It was really too dangerous to be scouting out the forests of these mountains at this time of night. But it should be expected of her husband. This was his best friend who was killed by a Rogue Wolf. And he wasn't about to take this situation too lightly.

"Look, I understand your concern, but my friend was murdered today." Sango watched along side Kohaku as his father embraced his wife. "Please, don't worry. I have the best patrol team standing out there ready to find out who murdered their leader. We will be taking a few of the watch dogs as well." He explained to her, releasing from the hug.

Worry still shown plain as day in her eyes, but she smiled despite it. "Alright. But please, be careful."

Her husband smiled back. "I always am."

"When do you think you will be back?" She asked him.

He thought for a moment before speaking. "Well, all we are going to do tonight is scout out the border of the village once or twice. So possibly about and hour and a half at most."

"Father, can I please come with you? I will do anything to help." Kohaku suddenly spoke up.

"I'm sorry Kohaku, but you are too young. I don't want to put you in any kind of danger if something was to happen."

"But.." Kohaku was cut off.

"Not this time." Atsumi-san said as he heading toward the sliding door. Sango glanced at her brother and saw him hang his head low in disappointment. She felt a little sorry for her brother. He always wanted to help out with their father, yet he always turned him down. Kohaku looked up to his father immensely and he wished all the time that he wasn't so young anymore so that he can do more things with his father.

Atsumi-san turned around and kissed his wife gently before he slid the door open and joined the Patrol Team. And just in a few minutes the group was gone scouting the forest.

"Hmm…" Sango kneeled down at the table that was placed in the living room.

"Sango, Kohaku, would you two like some tea?" Their mother asked.

"Yes please." They both announced in unison.

"What do you think it could be Sango?" Kohaku asked as he sat down at the table facing his sister. Sango shook her head.

"I'm not too sure. But it is very dangerous according to Kagome's father." Sango sighed. She wondered how Kagome and her mother were doing right now. Probably not very good. Its been two years since any Rogue Wolf has chosen to attack this village. Two years. Sango wondered why, why now would they want to do this? It didn't make any sense. She thought that they were finished after they killed her fiancé. But then again, these wolves were always unpredictable, they did things at random. Sometimes they didn't even have a real motive, they just wanted to have a little fun.

A few minutes later a cup of tea was place in front of both Sango and Kohaku. Their mother then sat down at the table with her very own cup and sighed.

Sango took a sip. "Mom, do you think that father is going to be alright out there?"

Her mom set her cup down on the table after taking a sip. She smiled. "I'm sure that he will. He is a very strong man, I know that he can take care of himself." She took another sip.

"Hmm…I hope nothing bad happens while they are out. What do you think the Rogues are up to this time?" Sango asked.

"I'm not so sure really. But they sure are up to something. If this is going to be the start of a whole string of things, then we all better keeps are eyes open. We must not let things go unchecked. " Their mother explained.

"Mom?"

"Yes Kohaku?"

"Why couldn't a go out and help father this time? I'm old enough, I'm sure I would be able to handle it."

smiled. "I'm sure you are a very brave young man, but you are only fifteen years old and you still have a lot of training to go through first."

"But I do my very best every time that I train with father yet he always says that I need to work a lot harder and improve on my skill."

"But remember Kohaku, it takes patience and a lot of concentration." Sango added as she took a sip of her tea.

Kohaku scoffed. "Well, lucky for you sis, you already have your training done and over with. You advanced a lot faster than I am doing right now." He looked away, frustration evident on his face. Sango didn't really have anything in response to her brother. There was truth in his words. She did advance a lot faster than him, but it really shouldn't be something to worry over.

"Now now you too. Kohaku, you must listen to your sister and your father. You will make it eventually. Its just like your sister said, you must be patient and have a lot of concentration." Their mother explained. She didn't like it much when Kohaku started this conversation. He was always such an envious boy, wanting to be just like his father. It wasn't really a bad quality that he had, he just had yet a lot left to learn.

"Hmm…" Was all he had to say.

**..::MirxSan::..**

Sango and her mother were the only ones left in the sitting room an hour later. Kohaku had already retired to bed a while ago. Sango figured he was still upset, and he probably was.

It was already late into the night and still, Kisuke Atsumi still hasn't returned home yet. The two were beginning to worry, surely he would arrive any moment.

"Would you like another cup of tea, Sango?" asked.

"Oh, yes please." Sango watched as her mother refilled her cup with her flavored tea.

"You know, im surprised that you have gone to bed yet. Usually you would have a long time ago." Her mother commented.

"Yeah, well that only happens on normal nights. Not when father is out there looking for something that could possibly harm him." Sango smiled and paused, taking time to sip her tea. "I sure hope that he will be home soon. I wont go to bed until he comes back." Her mother simply nodded in response.

There was no way that Sango was going to wait any longer than she really had to for whatever information her father might possibly carry once he gets back. What reason could the Rogues have to attack this time, two years after that last incident? It didn't make any sense.

Just then the front door slid open, surprising Sango and her mother.

"Father!" Sango jumped to her feet ready to hear anything that he had to say. "Did you find out about anything?" She asked.

He stepped inside the house closing the door behind him. He shook his head. "No I didn't. At least not any useful information that could tell us why they attacked."

"Hmm…" sighed. "What do you propose we should do dear?"

Her husband gave a sigh and ran a hand through his dark brown hair. "I'm not so sure as of right now. I suppose all that we can do is wait and see what happens." He kissed her lightly on the lips and sat down at the table Sango and her mother were just sitting at a few moments before he arrived.

Sango stood in the room quietly as she watched her parents drink some tea. She didn't know what do or think. Things seemed to have taken quite the turn in the past couple of hours, and it didn't sit very well with Sango at all. She knew that something was up and she wanted to know. She wanted to know why the rogues were doing this to her village and the other villages populating this mountain range. It was frustrating her to no end especially since that this time, it was her best friends father that was murdered. She truly hoped that some day soon, justice would be served on the rogue that murdered him.

"Sango, what are you doing standing there?" Her mother asked curiously, breaking her out of her musings. "Would you like to have some more tea?"

Sango smiled. "Oh, no thank you mom. I think I should head off to bed right now."

"Goodnight Sango. I want you to know that we will be waking you and your brother up early tomorrow morning. We are having an immediate funeral for Higurashi-san out of deep respect." Her father explained just before he took a sip of the hot tea. Sango nodded.

"Yes father, I understand." With a quick bow to her parents, Sango stepped through the back shoji and towards the building that contained the bedrooms. She never did get much sleep that night, for she was too anxious about the funeral the next morning and what else could possibly happen. Her mind kept racing through out the night and she even had nightmares consisting of a dark figure that cackled menacingly in the shadows. There was no questioning it, the figure in her dreams had to have been the rogue that brutally killed Kagome's father.

**..::MirxSan::..**

**A/N: **Hello everyone, I hope you all enjoyed the first (and re-uploaded) chapter lol I think I did a fairly good job at lengthening this chapter. I don't remember how long it originally was lol but oh well. SO! Tell me what you think, review review review and it will make a very happy and motivated fanfic writer! :3 lol…..Now I must go and work on editing the next chapter, wish me luck!


	2. A Strange Scent

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters portrayed in this fanfic. Copyright goes to Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Media. This is all purely fan-made and is in no way associated to the creators of the characters.**

**Full Summary: All of Sango's life she has been told to stay away from the Rogue wolves. It was said that they are nothing but evil sadistic demons; which for the most part is true. But, what happens when Sango accidentally falls in love with one? Read and find out!**

**Warning! This story will be rated M for mature audiences lol. The reason being is because there will be violence and blood, and sexual references and possibly scenes lol So if you cant seem to handle it, then this story might not be for you. :3**

**I only want intelligent flames, no bashing about how much you hated it or whatever.**

**A/N:….. Omg! Guys, I am so sorry. Yah..its been a year since I have updated this one XD It always seems to happen. I say that I am going to update as soon as possible and it usually take quite a while for me to get moving. I don't know, I guess its just that I have a lot of things going on in my mind and in my life that I cant keep up with my stories. I'm not going to make any guarntees that there will be an update really soon. But I will tell you that I have the next 2 chapters written out in a notebook. They have been done for like..a few years actually XD like I said, im lazy as all hell and I feel really bad for it. So..being that im out of school now, im graduated (yay!) I will have more time to write fanfiction! So wish me luck guys!**

**And please read and tell me what you think of this chapter. I will really appreciate it! **

**..::MirxSan::..**

Heart of the White Wolves

Chapter 2 A Strange Scent

Kagome Higurashi awoke that morning to a cool breeze blowing in through the window followed by a couple of snowflakes as well. She didn't sleep well at all the previous night. She had tried her best not to cry herself to sleep that night, but she couldn't help it. Her father was murdered and by a Rogue wolf at that. She was enraged and wished that she could do something about it, but that wasn't her place to do.

Today was her father's funeral, and there wasn't going to be any kind of fighting at all. It was a day meant for mourning. Everyone had to attend the funeral for in doing so it was out of respect. Not just because he was the leader of the patrol team, but also because he was a fellow villager. He was no different than anyone else. If the same tragic incident happened to a different villager, there would also be a funeral held for them the next day.

Kagome turned over onto her back to stare up at the ceiling, but in doing so she noticed a figured dressed in red sitting off in the corner of her room.

"So, you're awake huh?" It was Inuyasha.

"Huh…Inuyasha, what are you doing here?" Kagome questioned slowly sitting up in bed.

"I came to watch over you because I was worried about you."

Kagome smiled. "You didn't have to do that Inuyasha. I'm perfectly fine." Her smile faltered when memories of the last words her dieing father spoke replayed in her mind. Tears began to well up in her eyes and her fingers gripped into the sheets as she tried to remain as strong as she could. Immediately Inuyasha stood up and walked over to her side of the bed. He grabbed her hand and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"No you're not, look at you." He motioned to her tear stricken face. "Would you please stop doing that?"

"Inuyasha, my father was murdered yesterday, how do you suppose I'm supposed to act right now?" She cried.

"You don't think I'm pissed off either! Of course I am! I want to find that guy who did it and tear him to pieces just as much as the next person." The silver haired demon gently placed the palm of his hand to Kagome's cheek and whipped away the tears. "You have to be strong Kagome."

"Oh Inuyasha!" Kagome let out a sob and wrapped her arms tightly around his shoulders. Despite being slightly taken aback by the sudden embrace, Inuyasha hugged her back. The poor girl just lost her father, a very important person in her life. It was times like this that Inuyasha never really knew what to do with the girl, especially when she was crying. Giving her a comforting hug was just about as much as he could do. He was never really all that good with expressing his emotions.

After a few moments, he pulled back from Kagome and looked in her eyes. "C'mon, we need to get ready."

**..::MirxSanxMir::..**

Sango and her family were among the first to arrive in the field, which was commonly used as the villagers' final resting place. All the proper preparations had been made prior to the time of the ceremony.

It didn't take too long for the rest of the village to arrive, many of them bearing offerings and flowers for Higurashi-san. Soon, his grave was completely adorned with gifts to enjoy in the afterlife. The whole process was done in silence except for the cries of an infant that would be heard every once in a while.

Sango's family stood up front along with Kagome and her family. The last time that the village had to attend a funeral like this was when Kyo was murdered two years ago. Sango had to try her hardest to remain composed during the occasion. And now her best friend Kagome has to go through the same ordeal. She felt extreme remorse for her and her family.

Sango glanced over at Kagome to see Inuyasha standing next to her with an arm wrapped around her shoulder in comfort. It was kind of odd to see Inuyasha act that way since showing affection in public wasn't his thing. But he knew Kagome needed all the support she could get right now.

Once everyone was situated standing around the grave, Sango's father stepped up to say a few words.

"We are gathered here this morning to honor our leader of the Patrol Team who was murdered just yesterday. Not only was he the leader of the Patrol Team but he was also one of all of us. He was a wonderful husband and a wonderful father. But he was also a best friend. May we never forget Keiji Higurashi."

After Sango's father finished speaking, he took a step back into his original place next to his wife and bowed his head. Everyone there followed suit and bowed their head in silence for a few short moments. As soon as Atsumi-san lifted his head he signaled to everyone that it was now time to head to their respectful homes.

Today was to be a day of mourning. There wasn't to be any special work done today. No working in the field and picking crops, no hunting and no cutting of any wood for any purposes. It was a day of leisure and a day to reflect back on Higurashi-san, the fallen villager.

The Patrol Team though, still had to work and scout out the perimeter of the village, taking extra special care to their surroundings. They didn't want to take any chances today.

Once things were somewhat settled down, Sango met up with Kagome and Ayame. Both Ayame and Sango had hoped that being around the other girl would help get her mind off of things. So they offered to head down to the natural hot spring that was just at the edge of the village. It was one of the girls' favorite spots to go to, to wind down after a long day. And it was especially helpful to relieve some tension from tired muscles.

Kagome smiled. "Sure, that sounds like a great idea. Uhm, Inuyasha, if you don't mind…" She looked up at the silver haired half demon.

"What? Oh, right sure go ahead. But I'm going to be on the look out for anything suspicious, alright?" He warned.

"Okay. See ya." After a quick kiss on the cheek, Kagome left with Sango and Ayame to their favorite natural hot spring.

Upon arriving at the hot spring, the three girls stripped themselves bare and laid their clothes aside before stepping into the hot and soothing water. Sitting down against the edge, Sango pinned her hair up into a tight bun, just to make sure that none of her hair will get wet. The other two did the same as well.

All was silent among the three. No one had said a word to one another since speaking to Inuyasha about coming here. Each of them were lost in their own private thoughts, sometimes not even thinking about anything in particular. Just simply…thinking. That's when finally, Kagome broke the silence with a sigh.

"Why did this have to happen..? Why?" Ayame and Sango both looked over at her. Tears had begun to well up in the corners of her eyes once more. She loved her father dearly and she could fathom living life with just her mother, Souta and her grandfather. Sure she really did love their company, but something will be missing from that. Her father's laughter and jokes that filled their hut will now be gone forever, never to be heard of again. All that remains now are the memories of him that in time has buried themselves into the walls of their home.

"We are very sorry Kagome…I wish there was something that we could do to help." Ayame smiled reassuringly, hoping to cheer her friend up even just a little bit.

Kagome smiled. "Just stay here and keep me company. I'm glad I've got you guys here with me."

"No problem Kagome." Sango told her with a smile.

"Yeah, no matter what we are always going to be here for you." Ayame added. Kagome simply smiled gratefully. So far, just having Sango and Ayame's presence there seemed to be doing the trick and keeping Kagome somewhat a little more at ease. But even so, she still felt really morose. She couldn't help it, she just lost her father. It was something that she never would have expected to happen. Yet Kagome was really glad that she knew she could trust her two best friends to be there for her no matter what. Its what always kept her going.

After Ayame had last spoken, the three girls had fallen into a rather comfortable silence. Each was enjoying the soothing warm water and watching the sky as fresh snow flakes began to fall. No one said a word, just each other's company was good enough for them at the moment.

"Well…" Kagome began after about ten minutes of silence. "I think its about time for me to head back. I don't want my mother worrying about me." She smiled and stood out of the hot spring to grab her clothes.

Ayame stood up as well. "Yeah, I should probably head back as well. You coming with us Sango?"

Said girl glanced upwards, her attention drawn away from her wondering thoughts. "Oh, uhm…No I think I'm going to stay her for a little while longer. You guys go on ahead."

Kagome looked at her friend a little suspiciously. "Are you sure? I don't think that it would be safe to sit this close to the border of the village."

Ayame snickered. "Yeah, especially being naked and all. You don't want to get yourself molested now."

Sango smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry guys, I will be fine. I can take care of myself."

"Well alright then, but be careful." The two girls finished dressing themselves and began back towards the housing section of their village. "Bye Sango, see ya later!" They waved and soon they were gone.

Once they were gone, Sango let out a sigh of relaxation and closed her eyes. As she sat there in the gratifying warm water, she thought about the sudden change in events. A Rogue Wolf had killed her best friend's father, the first murder in two years. It was rather strange for this to happen, but in a sense it was to be expected of the Rogues. They were unpredictable demons and very dangerous at that as well.

When Sango was a young child, her parents would tell her stories about the Rogue Wolves. They would tell her how dangerous they were, and that she must never approach any of them despite how benign they may appear to be. She was always told that there were certain Rogues that appeared to be pleasant, when in fact they were natural born deceivers and could never be trusted. Others simply attacked for the hell of it. It was like a hobby of theirs.

Despite being a tough and strong willed girl, the Rogues were the only things that she really feared. When she was young she would have nightmares about them killing those she held dear to her in her life. Of course her nightmares didn't come true until that fateful night when her fiancé was murdered. She never in her life witnessed anything so horrific than seeing the one she loved most killed in front of her. He saved her life by allowing the demon to take his.

She sighed once more and opened her eyes before any of the images from that night came back to her. Sango never enjoyed thinking about the things that had happened that night. But even two years afterwards, there were certain things that would always remind her of what happened. Much like when she witnessed Kagome's father speak his last dyeing words to his family. The sorrowful yet grateful look in his eyes just before he departed to a different world was the same as the look Kyo had just before he died.

Sango shook her head to rid herself of the images of her dying fiancé. Even when her eyes were open it was hard to escape them. Figuring that she had been in the hot spring for long enough, she decided it was time to get dressed and head back home. But upon stepping out of the water and grabbing her clothes, something had stopped her in her tracks.

A scent.

Sango turned her head towards the tree line that sat next to the hot spring. The scent was strong and very distinct, nothing she had ever smelt before in her life. She took a couple extra whiffs of the air to try to distinguish the very peculiar scent, but unfortunately it was unrecognizable.

Fearing that someone could be out there spying on her, she grabbed the towel that she had brought with her and wrapped it around her body. The scent was still lingering in the air, and if Sango wasn't mistaken it seemed as if it was getting stronger. Almost as if whatever it was, was getting closer to her.

With a shaky voice, she called out. "W…Who's there..?" Sango wasn't sure whether or not she should have been disappointed when there wasn't an answer. Maybe it was for the best that she didn't get a response. Who knows, it could have been a Rogue. Just the thought of that sent a shiver down her spine and to the tip of her tail.

She turned her back to the forest and grabbed her clothes, getting dressed as fast as she possibly could. As she did so, the scent still remained and she felt eyes on her back as she did so. It probably wasn't the best idea to have her back turned, but she also didn't want whoever it was out in the woods to see every bit of her bare and naked. It was definitely a creepy thought.

She finally finished getting dressed and before she left, she took one last look at the forest behind her. The scent was still there, and so was the feeling of the eyes starting at her, watching her. Sango couldn't tell which direction it was coming from. It was almost as if the scent was engulfing everything around her. It was the most oddest thing that her nose has ever picked up, it was almost intoxicating.

Shaking her head, Sango figured that she spent too much time out here at the spring alone so she decided to head back home. The farther she got from the spring the more the scent dissipated, and soon there was no scent to be smelled.

**..::SanxMirxSan::..**

"Good night Okaasan, good night Otousan." Sango called out from her doorway as she stepping into her bedroom. Kirara, Sango's two-tailed neko, slipped easily passed Sango and into the room and jumped happily onto her bed.

Kirara meowed and smiled, her tails swishing back and forth. Sango smiled at her before she for the doors to her wardrobe cabinet. She untied the sash on her green hakama then folded it and set it into the small drawer she pulled out.

She then closed the doors on her wardrobe and looked over at Kirara with a smile on her face. She has kept this cat ever since she was a young girl at the age of nine. One day as Sango was looking for Kagome and Ayame in a game of Hide and Seek through a small patch of forest, she cam across something laying limp near the water's edge of a river.

Sango, being the young curious girl that she was, decided that she wanted to figure out what was at the edge of the water instead of search for her two friends. And that's what she did. She cautiously leaned down next to the small body and gaped at what she discovered.

Sango's eyes widened when she laid eyes on the small two-tailed kitten laying helplessly at the river's edge. The poor cat had scratches all over her body and was still wet from the cold water. She was definitely weak and didn't even have the strength to turn her head to see Sango kneeling above her. She knew that Sango was there beside her so she meowed weakly at her.

Sango smiled sweetly and reached her arms down to gently pick up the small kitten and set her in her arms. Sango smiled again at the injured animal and told her that everything was going to be okay. She stood up onto her feet then and began to walk back through the small forest and to her village. The tiny kitten gave Sango a slight smile knowing that she was going to be taken care of and nursed back to health.

Later that day, once Sango's parents found out that she brought home an injured two-tailed cat, they were bombarded with pleas from their daughter if she could keep the animal. She begged constantly and told them that she would take care of her everyday.

Both of her parents looked at each other and exchanged glances. And to Sango, she knew what they would tell her. It was simple to understand what they would say by their expressions.

Sango's mother looked at her and smiled, telling her that as long as she promises to take care of the kitten and nurse her back to health, then she is allowed to keep her. Sango smiled brightly and nearly cheered with joy. She was so excited.

Later that day, Sango decided to name her new companion Kirara.

"You are so cute Kirara." Sango walked over to the left side of her bed and leaped onto it and gently scratching Kirara behind the ears. Kirara purred with delight.

"Hm…" Sango turned over onto her back and starred up at the ceiling, the light from the moon outside reflected itself onto the ceiling and created different shapes with the shadows of the trees.

Starring up at the ceiling, Sango thought about the past events from that day and the day before. From the unexpected murder of Kagome's father, to the strange scent that came out of nowhere when she got out of the hot spring. It was all very unexpected and everything just kept sending her back to the night where her fiancé was murdered.

As she continued to stare up at the ceiling with Kirara curled up by her side, Sango couldn't help but to recall the events from that night. Its been about two years since it happened, and every now and then she cant help but to think about it.

She loved Kyo more than anything, and to see him go the way that he did tore something up deep inside her. The frightening feeling from that night would always come back in the pit of her stomach any time that she thought about it. The feeling would overwhelm her just like it did back then. No matter what, it always brought tears to her eyes. Much like on this night.

"Meow..?" Kirara looked up at the sound of Sango sniffling. Sango looked over at her cat and smiled, wiping her eyes.

"Its okay Kirara, I'm fine." She learned over and kissed her on the top of her head to reassure her. Sango sat up and outstretched her arms yawning. She took a glance down at Kirara and smiled.

"Well, I think we should get some sleep, eh Kirara?"

"Meow!"

Sango crawled up to her pillows near her headboard and crawled under covers. Kirara pranced her way onto Sango's chest as soon as she got comfortable. Sango's lips curled into a grin and she petted the top of her head again.

"I love you so much Kirara. I don't know what I would ever do without you." Kirara meowed in response and curled up tightly into a little ball. Sango smiled and closed her eyes. After a few minutes, Sango drifted off into a deep and comfortable sleep.

**..::SanxMirxSan::..**

**A/n: So? How did everyone like it? Please tell me what you thought….i should probably stop here, its like 3:30am and im kinda tired and plus its really hot right now. **


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